Does it seem like most new cars are sold with all-wheel drive? You’re not wrong. Consumer Reports says while more than half of new cars come with all-wheel drive, there are some things drivers need to know.
First off, Consumer Reports says not all vehicles with all-wheel drive or AWD are alike. For example, Subaru’s AWD system always directs at least some of the engine’s power to the rear and can direct a larger amount if needed. That’s not the case for every AWD.
“There are cost-effective or different ways of doing this, where maybe the car is primarily driven as front-wheel drive. The front wheels are getting most of the power all the time and then only in certain situations will it send power to the rear wheels,” said Alex Knizek, Manager of Auto Testing and Insights at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center.
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So yes, there are more AWD cars on the road nowadays, thanks to technology. This transfer of power happens with a mechanical driveshaft running the length of the car. But electric vehicles and some hybrids use individual motors at each axle with no physical connection between them.
“With a hybrid vehicle like from Toyota, for example, they take an electric motor and they just put it at the rear and that’s what’s giving you all wheel drive, right? So, they really don’t have to change much from the regular car to enable all wheel drive,” Knizek explained.
By the way, all passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. since the 2012 model year come equipped with electronic stability control, which, along with traction control, significantly improves road-holding capabilities, regardless of the drive wheels.
You may be asking, who really needs AWD?
“It’s people who really live in snowy areas, who see a lot of slippery road conditions, things like that, or, you know, at the, they live at the bottom of a steep driveway that is often wet or snowy or covered in ice,” Knizek answered.
Knizek also says it’s important to note that AWD is not a replacement for good tires. Poor tires on an AWD car will still struggle to provide enough grip on slippery roads. (Click here for Consumer Reports’ Best Car Tires of 2024)